Desk receptacle



AMB 15, 1924.

' J. V. wAsHBuRNE- DESK RECPTACLE original .med July 19. 1917 2 sheets-sheet 1 @y M62 :zu'vra ATTORNEYS 2 she'ets-sheee 2 Tl: E.

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MIMI? lll Patented Alapin 15, 1924.

@film JAMES V. WASHBUR-NE, OF FULTON', NEW YORK.

DESK RECEIPTOLE.

Continuation of application Serial No. 181,586, filed July 19, 1917.

This application led April 8, 1921.

Serial No. 459,548.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES V. WASH- BURNE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Fulton, county of Oswego, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Desk Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to desk receptacles of thc type adapted to contain small articles suoli as paper fasteners, pins-and the like and intended to form a part of a desk equipment, and has for its object to provide such a receptacle into which the particular article may be readily introduced and whereby said article is confined sok as to be readily accessible as required and is prevented from becoming indiscriminately scattered about. Other more specific objects of my invention will appear from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an example of the invention with- .f out defining its limits, Figure 1 is a plan View of the device in its simplest form; Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation; Fig. l is a plan view of another form of the device; Fig. 5 is a front view thereof; Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a front view showing another form of the receptacle in combination with the commercial container in which small paper fasteners are generally sold and Fig. 8 is a section thereof on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

As shown in the drawings, the device comprises an upright well l0 in which the articles, such as, for instance, paper fasteners 11 arecontained, said well being provided with an exit opening 12 which may be in the nature of a slot extending throughout the axial length of said well, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or it may be in the form of an opening, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In any case, the exit opening 12 is of a relatively restricted width with respect to the article 11 and is dimensioned so as to prevent the articles from passing out through the exit opening in an unconiined mass. ln other words, the exit opening is so arranged that the particular articles 11 will become jammed therein and thus confined against indiscriminate scattering, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter. The well 10 is preferably provided with a bottom 13 inclined downwardly toward the exit opening where-by the articles 11 are caused to naturally gravitate toward said exit opening. ln the preferred construction7 a tray 1li is located in front of the exit opening 12 and is preferably dished or otherwise constructed to retain the articles 11 and to prevent indis- Y criminate spreading thereof, said tray preferably constituting an integral part of the well 10. Any suitable means may be utilized to break the jam of the articles 11 in or behind the eXit opening 12 in order to bring a supply thereof into the tray 14 into ready accessibility for use or to replenish the supply in said tray. This may be accomplished, for instance, by simply inserting the end of a pencil, penholder or similar instrument through the exit opening 12 and thereby agitating the mass of articles 11 or, if preferred, the receptacle may be constructed to include an agitating device for this purpose. The latter, as shown in Figs. 1l, 5 and 6, may be in the form of an inverted cup 15 fitted within the well 10 and resting either upon the mass of articles 11 or upon an annular flange 16 with which said well, in such cases, is preferably provided. When constructed to include the agitating device 15, the well is preferablyA made of circular form, this being true also of the inverted cup 15 so that the latter may be readily rotated about its anis within and relatively to the well 10. To increase the agitating action ofthe cup, it may be provided interiorly withy ribs 17 projecting from the inner face of the cup 15 and extending lengthwise thereof, as shown in Fig. 6. To facilitate the rotation of said cup 15, it may also be provided with a plurality of external projections 18 disposed at intervals upon the end face of said cup, as shown in Figs. a and 5. The cup 15, when included in the construction, serves, in addition to its other functions, to close the upper portion of the slot 12, as shown in Fig. 5, and to convert the same into substantially a restricted opening corresponding to the form of opening 12 shown inFigs. 7 and 8, it being understood that the annular flange 16 is so located and that the parts are so proportioned as to produce this result. In some cases, the invertedy cup 15 may be replaced by the container in which certain articles are customarily sold such as, for initi stance, the metal bones 19 in which paper fasteners are generally contained, such con.- tainers or boxes 19 being simply placed within the well in an inverted condition,

kas shown in Figs. 7 and 8, so as to rest upon the annular flange 16 if the same forms a part of the receptacle r otherwise so as to simply rest upon the contents of the well or upon the bottom thereof, as the case may be. This container or box 19 may be rotated in the same way as the inverted cup and thus may function in the same way as the agitating device and may also serve to partly close the exit opening 12 if the latter is in the form of a slot, as in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive; it will be understood that the container 19 may be replaced by the cup 15 in Figs. 7 and 8, and that the latter may be replaced by the container 19 in Figs. L1-, 5 and 6. It will further be understood that the receptacle, when constructed as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, may be used without either the inverted cup 15 or the container 19, in which case the articles 11 may be agitated by means of a pen or pencil, as hereinbefore described.

The device is extremely simple in construction and attractive in appearance and serves to confine small articles such as pins, paper fasteners and the like in a neat manner against indiscriminateA scattering and so as to be easily and readily available for use when desired. In other words, a relatively small quantity of the articles 11 may be at all times readily maintained upon the tray 14 so as to be capable of being easily and individually picked up and without making it necessary to insert the linger into a mass of such articles to procure one or two thereof, thus avoiding the possibility of pricking said linger if said articles include sharp points or projections. The receptacle is particularly adapted for paper fasteners of the well known 0. K. type which, because of their relatively small size, very easily be come scattered about and lost. In its preferred form the receptacle is made of glass and of circular form, although it will be undestood that any other suitable material and shape may be substituted if desired.

`Various changes in the specific form shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The present application is a continuation of another application filed by me in the United States Patent Oflice on July 19, 1917, Serial No. 181,586, patented Oct. 11, 1921, Niipber 1,392,993.

' I claim:

1. A desk device comprising an upright, upwardly open well adapted to contain articles and provided in its upright wall with a relatively restricted outlet extending to inertes? the bottom of the well andv dimensioned with respect to said articles to conaie them in the well against exit as a mass and to permit restricted delivery of said articles from said well and a tray located in front of said exit opening for receiving said articles from said well.

2. A dest device comprising an upright, upwardly open well of circular form adapted to contain articles and provided in its upright wall with a relatively restricted outlet dimensioned with respect to said articles to coniine them in the well against eXit as a mass and to permit restricted delivery of said articles from said well, a. tray located in front of said exit opening for receiving said articles from said well and means rotat ably mounted within said well for agitating the contents thereof to facilitate the delivery through said outlet, the latter' extending downwardly beyond said agitating means.

3. A desk device comprising an upright, upwardly open well of circular form adapted to contain articles and provided with an exit slot extending throughout the axial length of the upright wall of said well and down to the bottom thereof, said exit slot being dimensioned with respect to said articles to confine them in the well against exit as a mass and to permit restricted delivery of said articles from said well, a tray located in front of said exit opening to receive said articles from said well, an annular shoulder within said well, an inverted cup fitted within said well and resting upon said shoulder to partly close the exit slot, said cup being rotatable about its axis within said well upon said shoulder as a bearing and interior ribs extending lengthwise of the inner surface of said inverted cup whereby the contents of said well are agitated as said cup is rotated to facilitate delivery thereof through the open portion of said eXit slot as said cup is rotated.

4. A desk device comprising an accessible tray, an upright, upwardly open well of circular form adapted to contain articles and having a downwardly inclined bottom leading to said tray, said well being provided in its upright wall with a relatively restricted outlet extending downwardly to said inclined bottom and dimensioned with respect to said articles to prevent exit thereof from the well a mass and to permit restricted delivery of said articles to said tray, and an inverted cup-shaped member rotatably fitted in said well and adapted to agitata the contents thereof to facilitate delivery through said outlet.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto Set my hand.

J AMES V. WASHBURNE. 

